Improvement in seal-bolts



FRED. c. HAMlLTON.

improvement in Seal Bolts.

No. 120,060. Paten tedOct.17 ,187J.

ATTESHT. ENVENTOFL.

ask WA 172 1! C A;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED O. HAMILTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENT, TOFRANKLIN W. BROOKS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEAL-BOLTS Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 120,060, dated October 17, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED G. HAMILTON, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Method and Device for SecuringShackle-Pins.

My invention relates to a device consisting of locking-arms andaseal-holder to secure the same, operating substantially as hereinafterdescribed, by means of which the pin employed to hold the shackle or anysimilar fastening of a door of a railroad freight-car, for example, maybe locked with an inimitable seal of glass or other frangible material,which seal must be broken before the pin can be withdrawn, so as torelease the shackle.

Figure 1 is a front view of a locking shacklepin with the face-plateremoved, the parts being in their locked condition. Fig. 2 isa view ofthe same unlocked. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same on linea: 0:, Fig. 1.

B may represent the sliding door of a freight car; S, the shackle forsecuring the same and T, the staple over which the shackle is passed,and upon which it is secured-by means of alocking pin. A represents thepin to secure the shackle. B is aT-head or enlargement upon the saidpin, to prevent it passing too far through the staple T. To prevent thewithdrawal of the pin A without detection after it has been passedthrough the staple to lock the shackle is the object of my invention.For this purpose I employ a seal, O, of variegated glass or other suitable material which cannot be readily coimterfelted, but will admit ofbeing represented by photography, so that accurate copies and recordscan be kept of seals used, and the authorized party may thus be enabledto observe whether or not the proper seal is in position. The materialof the seal gives it sufficient strength to secure the parts againstaccidental displacement,

and admits of being readily broken when the device is to be unlocked.The pin A is formed with a cavity, within which are pivoted, at d, apair of spring-catches, D, the laterally-projectin g ends at ofwhich,when forced outward through the else, as represented in Fig. 1, serve tolock the pin within the staple T. The springs E act to retract thecatches D within the case when they are released by drawing down thewedgeshaped seal-holder 'F into the position shown in Fig. 2. WVhen theparts are to be locked aseal, O, is placed within the seal-holder F, andthe latter is slidden up into the position shown in Fig. 1, where it issecured by a spring-pin, G, catching within the aperture f in the sealholder. In this position the seal 0 prevents any access to the spring-pinGr without first breaking the said seal, and the latter is held on allsides by the case, in which it fits, so as to prevent its removal in awhole condition. When the seal is broken a pointed instrument, beingpressed upon the pin Gr, drives it out of the aperture f and permits theseal-holder to be readily withdrawn. In addition to the sea], as afurther means of security, I purpose employing a lock of commonconstruction, to be opened by means of a key. The mode of arranging alock-bolt of any proper form to secure any of the moving parts inposition will be readily understood without specific description.

I claim as my invention-- As 'an improved lock for shackle-pins, thecatches D, in combination with the holder F, carrying a seal ofvariegated glass or analogous frangible material, so applied that itmust be broken in order to release the pin.

FRED O. HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

' H. E. BATES,

W. G. LILLEY. (24)

